Search form

State-Sponsored Malware

State-Sponsored Malware

State-Sponsored Malware

Malware, short for “malicious software,” is software that is used to disrupt computer operation, gather sensitive information, or gain access to private computer systems. The vast majority of malware is criminal, aimed at obtaining banking information or login credentials for email or social media accounts. But malware is also used by state actors. State intelligence agencies use malware to carry out covert actions against other states’ computer systems, such as Flame and Stuxnet. States and state-supporting actors also use malware to spy on activists, journalists, and dissidents.

Since March 2012, EFF has been collecting and analyzing malware deployed by pro-Syrian-government hackers that targets supporters of the Syrian opposition, covertly installs surveillance tools on their computers, and collects keystrokes, passwords, and screenshots. Our analysis has identified two distinct groups that have carried out prolonged phishing and malware campaigns using cheap or free Remote Access Tools, such as Black Shades Remote Controller and Dark Comet RAT. To date, EFF has reported on more than a dozen distinct attacks, which we have translated into Arabic in order to alert the Syrian community.

Yesterday, EFF and Lookout announced a new report, Dark Caracal, that uncovers a new, global malware espionage campaign. One aspect of that campaign was the use of malicious, fake apps to impersonate legitimate popular apps like Signal and WhatsApp. Some readers had questions about what this means...

San Francisco – The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and mobile security company Lookout have uncovered a new malware espionage campaign infecting thousands of people in more than 20 countries. Hundreds of gigabytes of data has been stolen, primarily through mobile devices compromised by fake secure messaging clients.
The...

If 2016 was the year government hacking went mainstream, 2017 is the year government hacking played the Super Bowl halftime show. It's not Fancy Bear and Cozy Bear making headlines. This week, the Trump administration publicly attributed the WannaCry ransomware attack to the Lazarus Group, which allegedly...

The Electronic Frontier Foundation, for example, commended the feds for asking a judge to review exactly what data the FBI would and would not touch in victimized devices, which were located across the country. It was a "positive step" toward accountability and transparency in FBI computer break-ins, EFF staff attorney...